Container receiving mechanism



March 17, 1942. H. s. LABOMBARDE CONTAINER RECEIVING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 my?! 5- qia/rz e Filed June 22, 1938 March 17, 1942. H. s. LABOMBARDE CONTAINER RECEIVING MECHANISM Filed June 22, 19:58 :5 Sheets$heet 2 March 1942- H. s. LABQMBARDE 2,276,319

CONTAINER RECEIVING MECHANISM Filed June 22 1938 -3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 CONTAINER RECEIVING MECHANISM Harold S. Labombarde, Nashua, N. H., assignor to Dixie-Vortex Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 22, 1938, Serial No. 215,125

17 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in container receiving mechanism, and more particularly to container receiving mechanism in combination with a container making machine for receiving formed containers from the machine as they are manufactured, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The present invention embodies divisional sub-- ject matter from the invention set forth and described in my copending application for patent entitled Method and machine for making tapered cups, filed June 29, 1936, Serial No. 87,628, and this application is a continuation in part of my aforesaid copending application.

This invention is highly desirable for use in the manufacture of paper cups of the character of paper drinking and ice cream cups sufilciently economical in character to warrant disposition of a cup after a single usage. For the purpose of clarity, the invention will be herein described in connection with the manufacture of such a paper cup formed flat with a crease at each side thereof. In the manufacture of any paper cup,

economy of manufacture and facility in handling are very important factors. In the making of a cup of the character described herein, namely, a substantially wedge-shaped cup having a closed bottom defined by an upward fold and a partially opened mouth, it is simpler and more economical to manufacture the cup in flat form. It is, of course, desirable to have the cups stacked in nested relationship to conserve space for shipment and to facilitate-the dispensing of the cups from a suitable dispensing mechanism.

It is, therefore, necessary to expand the mouths of the cups after they are formed so that they may be properly stacked in nested relation. It of course greatly expedites matters to incorporate expanding and nesting mechanism in the machine which manufactures the cups.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the present invention to provide container receiving mechanism designed to receive containers formed in the flat, expand the mouth portions of the containers, stack them in nested relationship, and carry them along in nested relationship to an ultimate receiving chute from which they may be taken to be placed in cartons for shipping.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of container receiving mechanism embodying a traveling conveyor or, in effect, a traveling receptacle performing the dual function of expanding the containers as they are re- 5 ceived and carrying the containers along therewith.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of container receiving mechanism including means for initially expanding a container and forcing the container into a traveling receiver.

7 It is also a feature of this invention to provide a traveling container receiver capable of receiving containers as they are formed in stacked relationship with previously formed containers, and carrying the entire stack along a predetermined path.

Also a feature of the invention is the provision of a traveling container receiver capable of receiving a container, holding it under compression to maintain it in expanded condition, and carrying it along therewit Another feature of the invention is the provision of container receiving mechanism including a pair of confronting traveling expanding rails spaced apart a less distance than the width of the mouth end of a container to be received thereby.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of container receiving mechanism including a traveling receiver, and means for providing a blast of compressed air in the open end of a flat container to expand the same and seat the same firmly in the receiving means.

Also a feature of the invention is the. provision of container receiving means incorporating a counting mechanism whereby each container deposited in the receiving mechanism iscounted.

A further feature of the invention is the pro vision of a combined receiving and counting mechanism whereby each container received is counted, and no count is made if a container is not received, with means to mark a container in the receiving mechanism after a predetermined number have been received.

It is also an object of the invention to provide container receiving means and counting mechanism, with the latter arranged to count each container deposited in the receiving means, and trip means controlling the operation of the counting mechanism actuated by a container traveling towards the receiving mechanism.

.Still'another object of the invention is to provide container receiving mechanism incorporated in the machine for making containers, for receiving and stacking the containers, the receiving mechanism being simple in operation and economical to manufacture.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a container making machine equipped with counting and receiving mechanism embodying principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the central and right hand part of the structure seen in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the staggered section lin III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the staggered section line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure is a plan view of one of the containers as it is received by the receiving mechanism;

Figure 6 is a side view of the container seen in Figure 5; and

Figure '7 is a view looking into the open end of the container.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of this invention is shown incorporated in a machine for manufacturing a paper drinking cup of the character illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and '7, the cup forming mechanism being more fully set forth, described and claimed in a copending application. It will be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not necessarily limited to use in connection with the manufacture of a cup of the specific formation illustrated.

For the purpose of clarity, the cup itself will be herein described first, and in Figures 5, 6 and '7, the cup or container generally indicated by numeral I is shown in its finished condition ready for use, just as though it were removed from a stack of nested cups in a dispenser. The cup is made from a single blank of stock folded to provide a seam 2 extending longitudinally of the cup and defined by overlapped marginal portions adhesively held together. A bottom portion or tab 3 is folded upwardly along a straight line of fold 4 to provide a closed bottom in the cup, and this tab is adhesively secured to the body of the cup over the seam 2. The cup is formed flat, as stated above, and side creases 5 and 6 are provided in the cup prior to its expansion to the position seen in Figures 5, 6 and '7. In this instance, the cup has a side wall tapering towards the bottom fold 4 on all sides, and each cup when packaged in a carton is preferably stacked in nested relationship with other cups in a partially expanded or wedgeshaped condition, as seen clearly in Figure 7. Slight pressure by the hand of a user upon the creases 5 and 6, augmented by the weight of the liquid placed in the cup, will expand the same to a fuller extent for drinking purposes. The lateral taper or convergence of the creases 5 and B aids materially in enabling the user to maintain a better grasp on the cup while filling it.

Since the present invention deals specifically with the receiving and counting mechanism, the entire machine has not been illustrated in the drawings, but only the finish end of the machine. It will, of course, be understood that the machine embodies adequate means for forming the cup from a blank of material, as more fully set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 215,123, filed June 22, 1938.

The machine includes a hollow bed plate 1, upon which are a pair of opposed frame members 8-8. After the cups have been formed by the machine, they are moved towards the receiving mechanism to be later described, between a pair of superposed endless belts 9 and 10 respectively, actuated by pulley wheels II and [2 respectively carried on shafts l3 and I4 journaled in the aforesaid frame members 8-8. It will be seen that the belts 9 and I9 are relatively narrow so as to overlie the seam 2 of the cup together with the upturned tab 3, and these adhesively connected parts are maintained under pressure by the belts while the adhesive sets. The lower shaft 14 may be driven by any suitable means, and the upper shaft is driven from the lower by a pair of like gears l5, one of which is visible in Figure 2. One of the gears IS in turn meshes with a gear IE to drive a shaft ll carrying a segmental feed roller l8, and through a similar like gear connection, the shaft I1 operates a lower shaft l9 carrying another segmental feed roller 20 opposite the feed roller [8.

The lowermost of the like gears I6 meshes with a gear 2| to drive a shaft 22 carrying another feed roller 23. An upper feed roller 24 rides freely on the feed roller 23, this roller 24 being journaled in a suitable bracket 25 pivoted to an upper shaft 26 to permit elevation of the roller 24 when necessary. The roller 24 is relatively narrow, as seen best in Figure 2, to provide room for a pair of air nozzles 2l'2l disposed on each side of the roller 24. These nozzles are connected through conduits 28 and 29 to an air line 30 which may be connected to any suitable source of compressed air. As the blank is pressed forward between the belts 9 and ill, the rollers l8 and 20, and subsequently the rollers 23 and 24, air from the nozzles 2l2l expands the cup on each side of the narrow feed roller 24, and as soon as the cup leaves the rollers 23 and 24, this air more fully expands the cup and urges it positively into a traveling receiver now about to be described.

The traveling receiver, which is in effect a traveling receptacle, comprises a pair of confronting endless belts 3| and 32, each of which is provided with a groove, as seen at 33 in Figure 4. These belts may be made of leather, rubber or any other suitable material. Of course, the belts 3| and. 32 are synchronously driven, each by a like mechanism. Such mechanism includes a suitable pulley wheel 34 carried on a shaft journaled in a suitable bracket bearing 35. which shaft is'driven through a suitable bevel gear connection 36 from a shaft 31 driven by a chain and sprocket wheel connection 38 from the aforesaid shaft l4. The belt also turns over a free pulley 39 (Figure 2)' carried in a suitable frame construction, and a rider pulley 49 carried on a pivoted bracket 4| maintains the belt under proper tension.

A pair of free rollers 4242 (Figure 2) journaled between. frame members 43 and 44 maintain the portions 45-45 of the belts in confronting relationship, and it is between these portions of the belts that the formed containers or cups are received. The portions 45-45 of the belts are spaced apart a less distance than the width of the mouth end of one of the cups, and, as seen in Figure 4, the side creases 5 and 6 of the cup are received in the grooves 33 of the belts 3| and 32, so that the cup is firmly held in place and carried along by these belts. Of course, the cups are transported in stacked nested relationship by the belts, the belts holding previously received cups in expanded position to receive the next following cup.

With reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the pulley 39 is carried on one arm of an X-frame l2, and this arm is provided with a slot 13 to permit adjustment of the pulley. The corresponding pulley for the belt 31 is likewise adjustably mounted. Consequently, if so desired, these rearmost pulleys may be adjusted closer together than the forward pulleys, thus causing the portions 45-45 of the belts to converge and further expand received cups as the cups are carried along by the belts.

As stated above, the formed flat cup is initially expanded by the nozzles 21-41 on each side of the feeding roller 24, and the feeding rollers 23 and 24 feed the closed end of the cup into nested cups already carried by the receiving belts. As the cup leaves the rollers 23 and 24, the air blasts tend to further expand the cup and lodge it forcibly between the belts which, as previously explained, may further expand the cup, and which maintains it in nested relationship with previously received cups. The belts carry the cups in stacked relationship into a receiving trough defined by a pair of spaced side walls 4546 disposed over a relatively wide fiat bar 41 supported on a frame member 41a. Stacks of cups may be removed as desired from the receiving trough 46 and placed in cartons for shipment.

It is desirable to have the cups marked in predetermined quantities, so that before packing the cups in the cartons, it will not be necessary to count them. Accordingly, a suitable counting arrangement is provided in conjunction with the receiving means, and this counting mechanism is arranged to count every cup that passes thereby but makes no count in the event a cup fails to pass. In other words, if one cup from the series is missing, no count will be made at the time that cup should have passed by the counting mechanism.

The counting mechanism includes a ratchet or counting wheel 48, to the inner face of which is affixed a collar 49 having a notch 56 at one point in the surface thereof (Figures 1 and 4) These two elements float on the aforesaid shaft 31 and are disposed to rotate freely relatively to this shaft and in the opposite direction. The ratchet wheel 48 has as many teeth as there are cups in a carton. In other words, if it is desired to place 200 cups in a carton, then the ratchet wheel will have 200 teeth. With each complete revolution of the ratchet wheel, a mark is made on the cup being expanded and driven into the nested cups by the air jets from the nozzles 21-41. This mark will occur adjacent the mouth of the cup on the upper central portion thereof.

The marking mechanism includes a crank arm 5| fixed at one end to a shaft 52 and carrying at the other end a nose 53 designed to fall in the aforesaid notch 59 at each complete revolution of the ratchet wheel together with the collar attached thereto. With reference to Figure 1, it will be seen that when the nose 53 drops into the notch 50, the shaft 52 is rotated slightly but sufficiently to cause a downward movement of an arm 54 fixed at one end to the shaft. This arm 54 carries on its free end a marking element 55 which is moved into the path of the cup being expanded and driven into the nested cups by the air jets. In this manner, regardless of how much variation may occur between the edges of the already nested cups, the proper cup is always marked. This marking element may be in the nature of a pointer, a pencil or any suitable implement.

The ratchet wheel is rotated with the aid of a cam 56 having a fiat cam face 51 thereon and carried on a shaft 58 journaled in the bed 1. The shaft 58 is driven by any suitable means from the main part of the machine and at such speed that it is to make one revolution for every formed cup. A'triangular bell crank 59 pivoted to the bed of the machine as at 60, carries in one corner thereof a cam rider in the nature of a roller 6| bearing on the periphery of the cam 56. A suitable spring. 62 maintains this bell crank in contact with the cam. An elongated pitman 63 is pivotally connected at opposite ends thereof to the bell crank 59 and a crank arm 64 respectively. The crank arm .is also floating on the aforesaid shaft 31. This crank arm 64 carries a pawl 65 disposed was to ride the teeth of the ratchet or counting wheel 48 by-gravity and actuate this wheel with each movement of the crank 64. A suitable dog 66 pivoted to the frame prevents a backward movement of the ratchet or counting wheel.

' Accordingly, each time the roller 6| is permitted to follow the fiat surface 51 of the cam 56, the link 63 will cause the pawl 65 to rotate the ratchet or counting wheel48 a distance equivalent to the width of one tooth of the ratchet wheel. Thus, each cup delivered to the receiving mechanism is counted upon the wheel. I-Iowevenin the event a cup is not delivered tov the receiving mechanism, no count should be made. Consequently, it is desired to have the counting mechanism controlled by the actual cup delivery.

To this end, the bell crank 59 is provided withv a detent 61 engaged by a trigger or latch 68. This trigger is fixed on a shaft 69 and a suitable spring 10 tends to hold it in latching. position. With the trigger in latching position, the roller 6! on the bell crank is prevented from following the flat surface 51 on the cam 56 and is retained in position, preventing operation of the counting wheel 48., Also fixed to the shaft 69 is an obliquely upwardly projecting trip member H, the forward end of which extends into the path of a cup leaving the compression belts 9 and [9. These belts being narrow, the cup will project outwardly therebeyond, and bearing upon the tripper H urges it down and, releases the trigger 58 permitting the counting wheel 48 to be rotated. In the event a cup is not delivered by the compression belts 9 and ID, the trigger 68 will not be released and the counting mechanism will be held from acting.

In operation, the present invention in its incorporation in a cup-making machine is extremely simple and effective. The cups are delivered to a traveling receiver arranged to cause an expansion of the mouth flat cup, namely, the traveling belts 3! and 32. Just prior to the actual reception by the receiving means, the cup is initially expanded .on each side of the narrow feed roller 24 by the air jets 21-21. Upon leaving the engagement with this roller, the compressed air jets further expand the mouth end of the container and forcibly lodge it in the traveling receiver in nested relationshi with previously received cups. The receiver not only receives a finished cup, but holds it in nested relationship, may further expand it, and carries it along therewith together with previously received cups,

At the same time, each cup received by the traveling receiver is in effect recorded on a counting wheel, and every cup of a predetermined number is marked. The counting mechanism is controlled by the delivery of the cups themselves, so that in the event one cup of a series is omitted, no count is made. It will be appreciated that the mechanism is economical in construction and operation and very accurately and expediend of the initiallygranted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by p the prior art;

I claim as my invention:

1. In mechanism for receiving cups from forming means, a continuously traveling conveyor having members shaped to receive and carry along a plurality of flat drinking cups in nested relationship and disposed to expand the mouths of received cups for the nested reception of following cups. g

2. In mechanism for receiving containers from forming means, a traveling conveyor shaped to carry along a plurality of containers in nested relationship and expand the mouths of received containers for the nested reception of following containers, and preliminary container expanding means in advance of said conveyor.

3. In combination with a machine for forming fiat cups, traveling cup expanding rails arranged to receive finished cups and carry them there- 'along in nested relationship, and means to deliver formed cups between said traveling rails to expand the cups and nest them one within the other.

4. Container receiving mechanism, including a pair of confronting expanding rails to receive and expand a container therebetween, and means to move said rails to cause them to carry containers in nested relationship therebetween.

5. Container receiving mechanism, including a pair of confronting expanding rails to receive and expand a container therebetween, said rails being spaced apart a less distance than the width of the mouth end of a container, and means to move said rails to cause them to carry con tainers in nested relationship therebetween.

6. Container receiving mechanism, including a pair of rails in the form of endless belts of which sections are disposed in confronting parallel relationship and between which containers are received and carried along in, nested relationship, and driving means for said belts.

'7. Mechanism for receiving flat folded paper cups having side creases after they are formed, including a pair of expanding rails traveling uniformly in parallel paths, each rail having a groove in its confronting face to receive a side crease in a paper cup, said rails being spaced apart a less distance than the width of the open end of the cup.

8. Mechanism for receiving formed flat paper cups having side creases, including a pair of confronting expanding rails to receive cups therebetween and carry them along therewith in nested relationship, and means for driving said rails in synchronism with each other.

9. In combination in a machine for forming fiat paper cups having overlapped marginal p tions adhesively held together, feeding means engaging said cups over said overlapped marginal portions, means arranged to initially expand the open end of a cup on each side of said feeding means, and traveling receiving means positioned to take the cup from said feeding means, hold it expanded and carry it along.

10. In combination in a machine for forming flat paper cups, feeding means arranged to successively feed fiat cups, traveling receiving means to receive the cups from the feeding means, exparid the cups and carry them along in nested relationship, and nozzle means arranged to discharge a blast of air into each cup as it leaves the feeding means and force it into said receiving means.

11. In combination in a machine for forming flat paper cups having overlapped marginal portions adhesively held together, feeding means engaging said cups over said overlapped marginal portions, nozzle means located on each side of said feedingmeans to expel air blasts to expand each cup on each side of the feeding means, and traveling receiving means to take the cups successively from the feeding means, the air blasts from said nozzles also forcing each cup into positive engagement with the receiving means after the cup leaves the feeding means.

12. In combination in a machine for forming paper cups, feeding means for formed containers, traveling receiving means to take the containers sucessively from said feeding means, and counting means including a marking element arranged to mark a container of a predetermined number fed to said receiving means.

13. In combination in a machine for forming paper cups, feeding means for formed containers, traveling receiving means to take the containers successively from said feeding means, counting means including a marking element arranged to mark a container of a predetermined number fed to said receiving means, and trip mechanism controlling the operation of said counting means positioned to be actuated by a traveling container.

14. A nesting mechanism comprising a traveling receptacle for carrying tapered articles in stacked nested relationship, said receptacle including opposed shaping means to distend the mouths of said articles to adapt them for stackmg.

15. A nesting mechanism comprising a traveling receptacle for carrying tapered articles and for distending them so as to form a stack; and means for giving to the articles a preliminary opening prior to the distension by said receptacle.

16. A nesting mechanism comprising a traveling receptacle for carrying tapered articles and for distending them so as to form a stack; and means for conducting air under pressure to the articles to give them a preliminary opening prior to the distension by said receptacle.

1'7. A nesting mechanism for flat tapered containers having opposed side creases and wider at the mouth end, including a pair of continuously traveling confronting resilient members each having a groove therein for reception of a side seam of a container, and said members being spaced apart a less distance than the width of the mouth end of a container to grip a container therebetween, hold it expanded and carry it along therewith together with other similar containers in nested relationship.

HAROLD S. LABOMBARDE. 

